Improvement in folding chairs



A. B. COGSWELL. FOLDINGCHAIRS.

No. 195,576. Patented Sept.Z5.1877- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR B. GOGSWELL, OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN FOLDING CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [95,576, dated September 25, 1877 application filed May 11, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR BIBNEY Goes- WELL, of the city of Burlington, in the county of Ohittenden and State of Vermon t, have invent ed certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs or Settees; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My iuvention'consists of a seat so arranged as to fold within its front and rear supports, so as to occupy the least possible space when it is closed, and is an improvement in the construction of a folding seat for which Letters Patent were granted to the petitioner under date of February 27, 1877, and numbered 187,817.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the chair in position for use. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the chair when closed. Fig. 3 is a detail view, showing the form of the groove in the legs.

A A represent the supports of the chair at the front; B B, at the rear. 0 is the seat, which swings upon the bar a, which extends across its under side and near its front edge. The bar a is attached at each end to the front supports A A, and also serves to act as a brace to connect and render more firm the supports A A.

Extending from the sides of the seat 0, at or near its rear edge, are projections b b, which work in grooves or slots 0 c, which are formed in or upon the rear supports B B. The upper ends of these grooves or slots 0 c are curved either backward or forward, so as to form rests c for the projections b b, which support the seat when in position for use.

The front and rear supports A and B form the side or end of the seat (3, and are pivoted to each other at or near their upper ends. They may be made in any convenient and attractive form or design. The upper part of the rear supports B B are connected by the back of the chair D, which is of any desired shape. The front supports A A are also connected by braces below the seat 0.

To arrange the seat 0 for use its rear edge is raised, carrying with it the pivots b b along the grooves or slots 0 0 until they can be passed over the curve in the upper extremities of the grooves or slots 0 c and dropped into the rests e, which brings the seat 0 into the desired position.

The front of the seat 0 is sustained by its being pivoted to the supports A A, which have,meanwhile, by the same movement been carried forward into place.

To fold the chair, reverse the previous motion by lifting the projections b b over the curve in the upper ends of the grooves or slots 0 0, whence they are carried by the weight of the seat to the bottom of the grooves or slots 0 0, thus compactly folding the seat between the rear supports B B and the front supports A A, which latter have, by this movement, been drawn back into line with the rear supports B B.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The seat 0, pivoted to its front supports, and having its rear sustained by projections b b moving in slots 0 c in the lower portion of the rear supports B B, and sustained, when in use, by the rest e, said seat, when folded, falling between the supports B B, substantially as described.

2. The grooves or slots 0 0, formed in or upon the rear supports B B, for the purpose of governing the movement of the rear projections b b of the seat O, the upper extremities of these grooves or slots 0 a being curved to form the rests e to support the projection b b when the seat is in position for use, substantially as shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR B. OOGSWELL.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. ALLEN, E. F. ELLIOT. 

